My dog has a pink, sore, waxy ear and scratches. Is it infected?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Boo! The most common reason for extra moisture and wax build up in the ear is an ear infection. Ear infections are caused by bacteria and/or yeast build up which can be from allergies or just extra moisture. Ideally Boo should see your Vet to have the cause identified and appropriate drops prescribed to get rid of the infection. Ear infections are treated topically in dogs and cats. You can try this ear cleaner. I would clean out the ear every other day for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or he worsens he should see your Vet. I also attached a video on how to clean the ears. I hope this helps and I wish Boo the very best! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24165 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=&aid=165

It looks like Bailey has a skin infection and with how you are describing the smell from his ears he can also have an ear infection. The cause could be from many things like mites on the skin, allergies or even hypothyroidism. I would recommend taking Bailey to a veterinarian, treating the infection, have them perform a skin scraping and blood work to make sure we are testing for different things that can cause skin problems. Once the cause is determined it will be easier to treat or maintain. I hope Bailey starts to feel better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The medication has an antibiotic and an antifungal in it. If it didn’t help the infection, she may have a bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotic. I recommend taking her back to the vet for a culture of the bacteria in her ear to determine what medication will treat it. Good luck and kisses to Bailey!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an ear infection. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to check what type of infection is present and treat accordingly. Usually this resolves with topical therapy. Good luck and have a good night!

It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! I am so sorry to hear that Snoopy's ear is red. It is very possible Snoopy may have an ear infection. Ear infections are most commonly due to underlying allergies such as environmental or food allergies. It is possible Snoopy has mites in that ear but less likely since only one ear is very affected. I would recommend taking Snoopy in to see your veterinarian. They will likely take swabs from both ears and look at a cytology of them (under the microscope) to look for infections. If this is the case, your veterinarian will recommend ear cleaner/ medication. Good luck! Here is an article that describes ear infections in more detail: https://www.petcoach.co/article/middle-inner-ear-infections-in-dogs/

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Snow may have an ear infection, which can be pretty uncomfortable for her. She should be seen by a vet to assess the severity of the condition and begin the appropriate treatment. Treatment may include oral antibiotics or topical antibiotics. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any questions you have!